What are the benefits?

Viagra is a branded medicine used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (or impotence) in men.

How does this treatment work?

The active ingredient in Viagra is a type of medicine called a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor. It works by preventing the action of the chemical phosphodiesterase type 5 in your body, which widens your blood vessels. This increases blood flow to the penis, helping you to maintain an erection following sexual stimulation.

How do you use it?

You should take one Viagra tablet one hour before having sex. Please read the printed information leaflet inside the pack for full details of how to take this treatment.

Who can use it?

Viagra is not suitable for anyone who does not have erectile dysfunction. It also should not be used by women or anyone under the age of 18.

Also, if any of the following apply to you, Viagra may not be suitable for you, or you may have to take extra care while taking it:

You have heart disease or circulation problems such as angina

You have low blood pressure

You have had a stroke or heart attack

You have a condition that causes bleeding (eg. stomach ulcer)

You have liver or kidney problems

You have sickle-cell disease

You have a disease, injury or deformity of your penis (eg. Peyronie’s disease)

You have or had bone marrow cancer or leukaemia

You have vision problems or an eye disorder

You have an allergy or sensitivity to sildenafil citrate

For more information on whether or not you should take this medicine, please refer to the printed information leaflet inside the pack.

Did you know?

Around 2.3 million men in the UK are thought to have erectile dysfunction, but only 10 percent receive any treatment for it.

Until about 20 years ago, experts believed erectile dysfunction was purely a psychological disorder.

However, we now know that the majority of erectile dysfunction cases are associated with a physical condition, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol (according to the British Association of Urological Surgeons, 90 percent of men with erectile dysfunction have at least one underlying physical cause for their problem).

Heavy smoking is also linked with erectile dysfunction, as is alcoholism and drug abuse

Your lifestyle may be putting you at risk of developing erectile dysfunction. To reduce that risk, the following lifestyle changes are recommended:

Give up smoking

Lose weight if needed

Take steps to reduce stress and anxiety

Stick to recommended alcohol intake limits. Men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol a day (that’s the equivalent of a pint and a half of 4% beer). ‘Regularly’ means drinking every day or most days of the week.

Precautions & side effects?

Not everyone experiences side effects when taking Viagra. Here are some that you should be aware of:

In more than one in 10 users:

Headaches

In more than one in 100 users:

Blocked nose

Dizziness

Hot flushes

Indigestion

Nausea

Eye/eyesight problems including sensitivity to light or blurred vision

In more than one in 1,000 users:

Blood in urine

Dry mouth

Fast heart rate/palpitations

Stomach or chest pain

Muscle pain or tenderness

Nose bleeds

In more than one in 10,000 users:

Angina

Heart problems

Irritability

Bleeding from the penis

Prolonged and painful erections (seek medical advice immediately if you have an erection that lasts for more than four hours)

For a full list of side effects associated with Viagra, please refer to the printed information leaflet inside the pack.

Please note: Some other medicines, including certain recreational drugs, may interact with Viagra (read the printed information leaflet for more details).

Other considerations

Drinking too much alcohol is not recommended while taking Viagra, because alcohol may affect your ability to get an erection, which means you may not benefit from this treatment. Do not drink grapefruit juice when taking Viagra, as it may increase the amount of sildenafil citrate in your bloodstream and make you more likely to suffer side effects.

Also do not take Viagra if you are taking any other medicines for erectile dysfunction or medicines that contain sildenafil citrate.

Please Note: If you do not get an erection or if it does not last long enough for you to have sex, do not take another Viagra tablet. If you take more than your prescribed dose, seek medical advice immediately.

How does the consultation work?

If you wish to buy Viagra online, please note that we take our customers’ safety very seriously. All orders placed with Online Pharmacy in UK.com are reviewed by a fully qualified GMC-registered doctor.

This consultation process includes the following:

When you proceed to checkout after placing your order, you will enter our online consultation facility, where you will be required to complete a medical questionnaire. This will be reviewed by one of our doctors

If your order is approved by our doctor, an electronic prescription will be sent to our dispensing pharmacy on your behalf.

Further help

If you would like to ask one of our medical professionals any questions about this medication, please log in to our Patients’ Portal after placing your order.

Free discreet delivery?

If you buy Viagra online from the UK or EU, we can offer free next-day delivery. We ship all orders via a trackable courier service (DPD, TNT or UPS) using discreet, plain packaging. Delivery also includes a text messaging service, which conveniently provides you with an estimated arrival time.